CAIRO — The spread of the novel coronavirus and the growing number of confirmed cases across the globe caused the Saudi government March 4 to expand its recently imposed tourism restrictions to include religious travel by citizens within the kingdom. The decision will disrupt umrah pilgrimages, and some Muslims fear the measures will still be in place during the five-day holy hajj pilgrimages that are to begin in late July.

The kingdom had reported five confirmed cases of the coronavirus by March 5, the first one detected March 2 in a citizen who had recently returned from Iran.

Iran's Health Ministry, as of March 6, reported more than 4,700 people had tested positive and 124 had died.

The Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry initially announced Feb. 26 it was temporarily suspending entry to Saudi Arabia for umrah pilgrimages to Mecca and visits to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi Mosque in Medina. The measures included suspending entry visas for tourists coming from countries where the coronavirus has become a threat, in addition to suspending the use of most national IDs by Saudis and members of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to enter Saudi Arabia. It also barred entry to some travelers who had obtained entry visas only recently.